Upholstered article and method of making same



Oct. 31, 1939. ,AM, VALLQNE 2,178,412

I UPHOLSTERED ARTICLE AND METHOD 0F MAKING SAME Filed April 21, 1937 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Oct. 3l, 1939. y 1 M VALLON 2,178,412

UPHOLSTERED ARTICLE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed April 2l, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ill INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 31 1939 PATENT FiFi UPHOLSTERED ARTICLE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Joseph M. Vallone, Buffalo, N. Y., assigner to Barcalo Application April 21,

4.Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in upholstered furniture Aor articles and in the method of making the same.

One object of the invention yis to provide improved edge-fastening means for the coverings of upholstered couches and analogous articles whereby the work of upholster'ing or covering such articles is simplified and expedited.

Other objectsof the invention are to provide improved fastening means for the yedges of up` holstery coverings whereby a strong, durable and attractive edge finish is provided and the coverings can be fastened in place more expeditiously and less `eXpensively than heretofore; also to provide an upholstered article having a cushioned seat of improved construction; also to provide an improved method ofy making the cushioned seats of upholstered furniture; also to 'provide a cushioned seat of improved construction in which the cushion lpadding for the spring seat bottom is better confined and held intact; 'and -also to improve the construction of upholstered articles 'and the method of making the same in the respects hereinafter more particularly described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, 'of an upholstered couch or thelike embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevational view, partially illustrating a method according to my invention of upholstering the couch or article.

. Fig. 3 is an elevational View further illustrat-y ing the method of upholstering.

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the couch showing por- `tions of the covering and seat .padding broken away to show the bottom covering of the pad and the spring bottom structure.

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view on line 5 5,

40 Fig. l., showing the fastening means for the bottom edge of the covering.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, sectional `elevation on line t-t, Fig. 5, of the edge fastening means.

Fig. 7 is a cross section of the bottom edge of the covering showing thel manner of placing the fastening bar in the cover hem.

Fig. 8 is a perspective View showing the upholstery covering turned inside out and inverted.

Fig. 9 is a sec-tional plan view through the corner of a couch on the plane o'f line 5 5, l, but showing slightly modified construction.

Said drawings illustrate the invention in connection with an upholstered 'couch or seat, but the invention, as will vbe understood from the Manufacturing Company,

Buffalo,

1937, serial No. 138,193

(ci. 15s-18o) 'following description, is also applicable toother upholstered articles.

As illustrated, the couch comprisesa stationary bottom frame-lil formed by rigidly connected horizontal side and end metal bars or angles supported by legs H at the corners of Ithe frame, metal legs of angle shape `in horizontal ksection being shown?, se'e Fig. 5, having the upper ends of theiry side and end walls rigidly secured, as by welding to the side and end bars of the bottom frame I0. The spring bottom or spring structure of the seat, which is supported by the bottoni frame lil, may be o'f any usualor suitable con struction. For instance, it may comprisea `group of Vertical, spiral or coil springs lil secured at their lower ends on the bottom frame, and having their 'top `convolutions connected to each other by longitudinal and transverse ties or wires it and lli which hold the upper ends of the springs in the intended relation and which, together with a marginal wire or frame l5 extending around the top `of the group of springs and connected to and supported by the springs, form the top of the spring bottom structure. ported by the spring bottom structure, as usual, is an upholstered seat pad or cushion i5, the top covering 'Il of which forms the top surface of the upholstered seat lof the couch. A skirt I8 extends downwardlyfrom the edges of the seat pad to cover the frame and spring bottom at the sides and `ends thereof, the sides and ends of this 'skirt being, as usual, attached at their upper edges to the corresponding edges of the top coveri-ng il of the seat pad. This skirt extends down below the horizontal bottom frame AIl) of the couch and has its bottom edge hemmeol to form pockets at the lower ledges of the sides and ends of the skirt to receive edge fastening bars. The covering, comprising the seat and skirt portions 'il and i8 may be made of any textile or other fabric or material suitable for the purpose.

A fastening bar is confined in the pocket i9 at the bottom edge of each side of the skirt, 2li being such a bar in the edge pocket of the front of the skirt, and 2l a similar bar in the edge pocket of eachend of the skirt. Each fastening bar preferably consists of a relatively wide, thin metal bar 'or strip which is arranged vertically on edge in the skirtpocket so that the bar is deeper vertically than horizontally, and each fastening bar '2li or Ei is provided near vits lends with fastening devices, preferably in the forni of screw studs or bolts 22 which are fixed to the bar and are adaptedto be inserted through holes 23 in the walls of the couch legs lil 'and secured Overlying and sup-` the horizontal frame bars.

by nuts 24 screwed on the inner ends of the studs. In the case of a long couch or seat, the fastening bar at each long side of the skirt is also provided at its middle portion with a similar fastening or screw stud 25 which is adapted to be inserted through a hole in a xed bracket or part 26 depending from the middle portion of the corresponding side of the bottom frame and is secured, as before, by a nut screwed on its inner end. The end bars 2| are similarly secured at the ends of the couch, one of the screw studs for oneY end fastening bar being shown at 22, Fig. 5. By elongating the stud-receiving holes in the couch legs and brackets 2G, the fastening of the bars in place is facilitated and allowance made for possible inaccuracies in the location of the studs or holes. The screw studs or bolts are preferably riveted in holes in the bars or otherwise xed to the fastening bars so as to be rigid therewith.

The fastening bars with their fixed screw studs can be readily inserted endwise into the skirt pockets, which are open at their ends at the inside of the skirt, by opening or spreading the pockets and turning the fastening bars to a position transverse to the normal plane of the pockets, as illustrated in Fig. 7, and after the bars have been inserted in the pockets, they are turned to their normal or vertical position and the studs forced through the inside walls of the pockets. The fastening bars are relatively stiff or rigid vertically, or in the direction of the strain of the skirt thereon and are thus adapted to hold the edges of the skirt straight and horizontal against the tendency of the tension of the skirt to bend or bow the bars between their points of attachment to the frame. Thus, a neat, attractive edge finish for the covering is provided, notwithstanding that even in the case of a full length couch, the fastening bars at the long sides thereof do not need to be secured to the frame except at the ends and at one point between the ends of the couch. In other words, only three fastenings or studs are required for securing the front or back edge of the skirt in a full length couch, and as regards the end fastening bars, only two fastenings or studs are necessary, one at each end of each bar. This construction also enables the skirt to extend down below the' horizontal bars of the couch frame and be fastened at its bottom edges at points spaced downwardly below Therefore, the horizontal bars or members of the couch frame need not be vertically wide or deep members, such as are necessary in constructions in which the edges of the skirt are fastened to the bottom edges of the horizontal frame members.

Fig. 9 shows a slight modification in construction of the fastening means adapting the same for use on round cornered couches or articles. In this modification the ends of the fastening bars 20a and 2| a, are bent to substantially conform to the curvature of the round corner of the leg Ha. Otherwise the construction may be as above described.

The following improved method is preferably employed in producing the upholstered couch or article constructed as hereinbefore described.

30 represents pieces or flaps of suitable inexpensive textile or other material which are stitched to the inside of the covering at the front and rear edges of the seat portion thereof, and 3i indicates similar strips which are stitched to the inside of the covering at the opposite ends of the seat portion The skirted covering with the flaps 30 and 3| attached thereto is turned inside-out and is placed upside-down over a suitable work bench or support 32, see Figs. 2 and 3, with the skirt hanging down inside-out around the bench. The kapok or other filling material 33 which forms the stufling or padding of the seat pad or cushion is then laid or placed to necessary thickness on the then up-turned underside of the seat covering, as indicated in Fig. 2. Then the side and end flaps 30 and 3| are folded inwardly over the padding material 33, with the free edges of the side flaps overlapping each other and overlapping the inwardly folded end flaps 3|, and the flaps are fastened to each other by staples 34 inserted and clenched through the overlapping flaps, or the flaps can be secured over the filling by stitching or in any other convenient manner. The padding material 33 is thus enclosed between the seat top portion of the covering and the folded-in flaps 3U and 3|, and is completely enclosed and securely confined and held intact. The couch frame IU with the bottom spring structure thereon is then placed upside-down on the covered pad or cushion while the same remains on the work bench, and while pressure is applied by suitable means, not shown, to compress the cushion and spring bottom, the skirt I8 is drawn up around the spring bottom and frame, as indicated in Fig. 3, and the fastening bars 2|] and 2|, which have been placed in the bottom edge pockets of the skirt, are then secured in place on the frame, as above described, by inserting the securing studs of the fastening bars in the holes in the legs and brackets 26. By thus working with the couch inverted or upside-down, the fastening bars can be Very quickly and easily secured in place, since the points of attachment for the securing studs are in readily accessible positions where the bolts can be easily seen and reached and the nuts screwed thereon.

I claim as my invention:

l. An upholstered article comprising a rigid supporting frame having horizontal frame bars and members extending downwardly below said horizontal bars at widely spaced apart points, an upholstered seat supported by said frame, a covering which covers said seat and has a skirt extending down below said horizontal frame bars at a side of the frame, and edge fastening means for said skirt comprising a relatively wide thin bar enclosed in a hem at the bottom edge of the skirt and carrying fastenings at its inner side attached to said downwardly extending frame members, said bar being arranged with its wide side vertical and bridging the space between said frame members and spaced downwardly away from said frame bars, and said fastening bar being suiiciently wide vertically to maintain the bottom edge of the skirt substantially straight against the tendency of the tension of the skirt to bow the bar upwardly between the widely spaced apart points at which the bar is fastened to the frame.

2. An upholstered article comprising a rigid supporting frame having horizontal frame bars and widely spaced apart legs extending downwardly below said horizontal bars, a cushion supported on said frame and having a covering with a skirt which extends down at the side of said frame below said horizontal frame bar, and fastening means for the bottom edge of said skirt comprising a wide thin horizontal fastening bar enclosed in a hem at the bottom edge of the skirt, and fastenings securing the ends of said bar to said legs below the horizontal frame bar at said side of the frame, said fastening bar being Cil arranged with its wide side vertical and bridging the space between said legs and spaced downwardly away from said frame bar, and said fastening bar being sufficiently wide vertically to maintain the bottom edge of the skirt substantially straight against the tendency of the tension of the skirt to bow the bar upwardly between the frame legs.

3. An upholstered article according to claim 2 in which a bracket extends downwardly from the horizontal frame bar between the legs, and said fastening bar has a fastening secured to Said bracket.

4. An upholstered article comprising a rigid rectangular supporting frame having horizontal frame bars, and supporting legs extending downwardly therefrom at the corners of said frame, a cushion supported by said frame, a cushion covering having a skirt which extends downwardli7 from the cushion at the sides of said frame below said frame bars, and fastening means for the bottom edge of said skirt comprising a wide thin horizontal fastening bar enclosed in a hern at the bottom edge of the skirt at each side' of said frame, and fastenings securing the ends of each fastening bar to the two legs at one side of the frame below the horizontal frame bar at said side of the frame, said fastening bar being arranged with its wide side vertical and bridging the space between said legs and spaced downwardly away from said frame bar, and being of sufcient vertical width to maintain the bottom edge of the skirt substantially straight against the tendency of the skirt to bow the bar upwardly between the l frame legs.

JOSEPH M. VALLONE. 

